WASHINGTON – November 20, 2007 – With the Annapolis conference
less than one week away, the Arab American Institute commends the
bipartisan efforts of Congressmen Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Charles
Boustany (R-LA) (pictured left) to support U.S. engagement on
Palestinian-Israeli peace. Yesterday, Ackerman and Boustany sent a
letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging sustained
U.S. diplomacy, including a substantial increase in Palestinian aid.
The letter was signed by 135 Members of Congress.

The letter advocates a reorientation of U.S. aid programs to the
Palestinians, encouraging a focus on economic development and job
creation. It also outlines the responsibilities of both Palestinians
and Israelis, asserting, “Addressing corruption and public safety in the
P.A. while continuing to engage with Israel to coordinate a remittance
schedule for Palestinian tax monies and to improve access and movement
will ensure that assistance will be effective in reviving the
Palestinian economy and creating the atmosphere of hope required for the
success of diplomatic efforts.”

Significantly, the letter also calls for a “regional consensus” and
recognizes the high stakes involved in the meeting’s success, affirming
that “a still-born initiative could set back prospects for peace,
destabilize regional allies, and exacerbate an already volatile
situation in the Middle East.”

“Success in the aftermath of the Annapolis summit is critical, not
just for Palestinians and Israelis, but for the United States and the
entire Middle East region,” said Arab American Institute President James
Zogby. “That is why it is so encouraging that Congress, under the
leadership of Representatives Ackerman and Boustany, has taken such a
constructive approach in support of peacemaking. They recognize the
importance of U.S. aid, diplomacy and, when necessary, pressure in
moving this vital process forward.”

In addition to support from the Arab American Institute, Congressmen
Ackerman and Boustany’s efforts were supported by Americans for Peace
Now, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, Israel Policy Forum, Churches for Middle East
Peace, and the American Task Force on Palestine. A May 2007 poll
commissioned by the Arab American Institute and Americans for Peace Now
of Arab and Jewish Americans found that 96% of Jewish Americans and 91%
of Arab Americans believe that trying to achieve peace, security, and
dignity for Israelis and Palestinians is important to U.S. strategic
interests. In addition, 89% of Jewish respondents and 92% of Arab
American respondents said it was important for the two communities to
work together to achieve Middle East peace.

Full text and signatories are included below:

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC

Dear Madam Secretary:

We are writing to both commend you for your efforts to reinvigorate
the Israeli-Palestinian peace process by convening an international
meeting this fall and to respectfully suggest that additional measures
by the United States in the near term will be necessary to preserve the
possibility of success.

As do you, we believe the coming months represent a critical
opportunity to stabilize the region by advancing a peace agreement
between Israelis and Palestinians—and perhaps a comprehensive opening of
Israeli relations with the Arab world. However, it is equally clear
that a still-born initiative could set back prospects for peace,
destabilize regional allies, and exacerbate an already volatile
situation in the Middle East

Clearly, robust, hands-on U.S. leadership and diplomacy is necessary
to frame not only on what transpires at the meeting, but on what takes
place before and after it. But dialogue and encouragement of the parties
will not, by themselves, be sufficient. As you have made clear, the
Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister
Salam Fayyad, has emerged as a viable partner for U.S. peace efforts.
The situation confronting them, however, is desperate.

Accordingly, we urge you to consider a reorientation of U.S.
project-focused assistance programs. The immediate needs of the
Palestinian people are for clean government, public order, economic
opportunity, and salaried employment. U.S. assistance should be used-and
should be designed to leverage international support-for financial and
personnel reforms in the Palestinian Authority, for housing or other
labor intensive projects, for the effective operation of a Palestinian
police force and an independent Palestinian judiciary, and for long-term
economic development and job creation programs. Addressing corruption
and public safety in the P.A. while continuing to engage with Israel to
coordinate a remittance schedule for Palestinian tax monies and to
improve access and movement will ensure that assistance will be
effective in reviving the Palestinian economy and creating the
atmosphere of hope required for the success of diplomatic efforts.

In this regard, we recognize that in this critical moment, and with
the current Palestinian leadership, current levels of U.S. assistance
are insufficient to leverage either real change and improvement by the
Palestinian Authority, or more robust support by the international
community. The United States should take the lead in organizing
international assistance to the Palestinian Authority which is not only
consistent with the principles described above, but would suffice to
cover the legitimate budgetary needs of the Palestinian Authority until
it is able to muster its own resources.

U.S. assistance, though of vital importance, must be supported by a
regional consensus. The current oil boom, aggressive Iranian efforts to
establish hegemony and the extra-legal takeover of the Gaza Strip by
Hamas, all lend salience to your efforts to positively engage the Arab
states in efforts to make peace. In concert with others, we can not
allow the financial asphyxiation of the Palestinian Authority,
particularly while some continue to provide or allow funding of Hamas.
The extraordinary efforts being made by the President and yourself are
more likely to succeed if our regional partners are working together
with us.

Madam Secretary, resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, through
the establishment of two states for two peoples, is too important not
to seize the opportunities that have emerged over the past weeks. With
aggressive multilateral diplomacy led by the United States, we believe
the meeting in November could mark an important turning point. We look
forward to working with you to ensure that it is a success.

About the Arab American Institute
Founded in 1985, the Arab American Institute (AAI) is a nonprofit
organization committed to the civic and political empowerment of
Americans of Arab descent. AAI provides policy, research and public
affairs services to support a broad range of community activities. For
more information on AAI, please visit www.aaiusa.org
or call 202-429-9210.